Rail anchor



June 24, 1930.

c. T. HOFFMAN RAIL ANCHOR s snees-shge't 14 Filed Jan. 9, 1930 m- HHHHHHHH June 24, 1930.

c. r. HOFFMAN Patented June 24, 1930 snares ares RAIL ANCHOR Application filed January 9, 1930. Serial No. 4.19.599.

This invention relates to devices for preventing the longitudinal creep of railroad rails, such devices being known to the art as anti-creepers, rail anchors, creep checks, or

rail stays. a

A general objectof the invention is'to provide a device that will be simple in construction, relatively cheap to manufacture, light in weight,-strong, and capable of retaining a firm and reliable hold on the rail while at the same time being adapted for production by well known and usual manufacturing methods.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a construction whose grip on the rail will not be affected by the vibration or movement of the rail, temporarily, in a direct-ion opposite to that in which the rail tends to creep or by any other cause tending to displace or loosen the grip of the anticreeper on the rails engaged thereby. In that connection the invention also contemplates a rail anchor which will provide efiectually against rail creeping in either direction and which is operative essentially by the application of the weight of the moving track load although held in its original gripping position by its application to the rail so that not only an initial strong rail gripping action is secured but under normal operating conditions when the rolling load is applied to the rail a greater grip will b obtained.

A further object is toprovide a combined rail anchor and tie plate so that the installation of both the tie plate and anti-creeper or rail anchor may be simultaneous-thus rethe inherent resiliency of the anti-creeper.

force applied to the rail, is adapted to effect the primary purpose Without uneven tie end drag,gauge disturbance, side rail wrenching,

and which will also distribute the anti-creeping force evenly to both rails under fast moving track loads.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved rail anchor and anti-creeper applied in position between a rail base and a tie.

Figure 2 is 'an end elevation of the combined tie plate and rail anchor showing the rail anchor more in detail.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing a tie plate with the rail anchoring means applied to both ends thereof.

Figure 4: is a side elevation illustrating a modified form of rail anchoring tie plate.

Figure 5 is an end elevation of the rail anchoring portion of the plate shown in Figure 4.

Figures 6 and 7 are respectively detail cross sectional views, illustrating different shapes that may be given to the rail base engaging portion of the rail anchor.

Figure 8 is a side elevation illustrating the use of the invention in connection with the cambered plate.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of a further modification illustrating the application of the invention to a tie plate having gauge maintaining shoulders.

Figure 10 is a detail elevation of a further modified form of rail gripping means.

, Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

The essentialfunction of a rail anchor'or anti-creeper is to resist rail creeping or the intermittent or sliding. movement of the rails in track under .moving rail loads. Rails creep from two principal causes; first, the application of brakes to moving car Wheels; and second,-due to'the undulating or wave motion of the track caused by the depression of the rails under'the intermittent rolling loads of the wheels of passing trains. Other factors tending to contribute to rails creeping are insufiicient expansion allowance, loose spikes and bolts, Ilong spaces between ties, yielding foundations, and insufficient roadway drainage.

A very desirable factor in track construction is to limit the number of separate parts per section of track to a minimum, and the present invention fulfils this requirement both as to installationand maintenance. Many anti-creepers or rail anchors in extensive use contain as many as four members at thejunction of the-rail and tie, to wit, thetie plate and an associated anti-creeper, the later. including from one to three separate members. Ac.- cordingly in the present invention, it is proposed to provide a rail anchor or anti-creeper. integral with the tie plate, and which, while remaining in one rollermember, isadapted to be operative in both directions of rolling track load, and whose effectiveness doesnot depend upon the tightness, strength or support of the associated rail spikes. Therefore, the present invention clearly possesses the desired advantages necessary'to the mainte nanceof proper track conditions.

Also the present invention provides for the anti-creeping reactive force by independent anchorage on'ei-ther or both sidesof the tie at the junction of the rail and tie and doesnot depend for its operativeness upon the actual creeping'of the rail as is true with the majority of anti-creepers in use.

Referring firstto- Figure- 1 of the drawings, it will be observed that the tie pl'ateportion is designated generally as 1, and in the illustration shown has the rail anchoring means R at one end thereof. The combined anchor and tie plate are preferably rolled from spring steel and the rail anchoring means then cut to shape and bent or folded to provide the integral folded portion including the depend ing tie abutting leg 2' and the upturned leg or member 3. This latter member preferably extends above the top line or surface of thetie plate 1 and has its central portion cut away to permit of the rail seatingb'etween a pair of upstanding rail gripping'members 4.. These members are forced into gripping engagement with the side-edges 5. of the rail baseBby' reason of the weight and load of the rail acting upon the unsupported ends of the inwardly projectinglever portions 6 formed integrally from the web of' the upstanding member. That is to say, the memberii of the rail anchorR' is so formed as to provide the upstanding side members 4- i which are pulled. inwardly when the railseats" on the upper surfaces 7 of the inwardl-y projecting'lever portionsfi which also serve tobin'd' against and grip-the base of the rail. Thus, a two-fold rail grip-is secured, oneat side edges of the rail base and another directly on the bottom face. of the rail. It will, of course; he understood that the upper surfaces of the webmembers: 6 normally have a projection above the upper rail seating surfaceoiitl-ie tieiplate portion 1 so that as'the railis placed in: position; onthe tie plate it will first engage the upper edges:"7'-7 of the members 66 and, as the rail moves toward According to Figures 1 and 2 the inturned web. portions 66 may be formed into levers by cutting away the metal of'the member vertically as indicated at 8 and horizontally as indicated at 9, thereby to produce a comparative-ly small opening which will effectually resist the entrance of ballast or other matter which might prevent the free downward movement of the members 66 to cause the bending inward of the members 47-4: as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 2. The upper surfaces of the members 6' are'preferably inclined toward the base edges of the rail so that a progressively increased bearing engagement is effected between the same and the base of the rail. This-is done so that not only an effective initial'grip will be secured, but as the rolling load approaches the zone of the rail anchor and'the rail deflects under such load, the members 6 will bethrust further downwardly and not; only securely grip the base of therail but also themembers be formed in i an embodiment of the" inventionwherein the rail? anchor and tie plate are combined and end of the tie plate.

Figure 8' of the drawings, however, illustrates the tie surface engaging portion: 1 or tie plate having the integral rail anchors R and'B ateach endi thereof. The construction of the rail gripping means of the rail ane'horsR' and R be the same as that: shown in Figure 2, or they may he modified asshown in Figures 4t and. 9 of the drawings. However, the purpose of the construction shownin Figure 3 is'toi provide a'double'rail anchor which will provide a double grip on the rail and is particularly adaptable to rails on which traffic runs-in both or opposite directions;

Another object of thisitype of rail anchor is that, it assists in preserving the tie,v and although, preferably held to the tie. by the,

aid of the usual spikes S this type of anchor may, be installed at locations where spikes become. a secondary fastening element since I V 7 this type straddles the tie and provides a self-seating and self-locking tie engagement;

Figure at of'th'e drawings'illustratesa type tit) ment locates the fulcruming point of the metal in the web lower and further toward the side edges of the body 8 and is useful to illustrate the range of modification which may be resorted to in the formation and shape of the levers 6 1 As will be observed from Figure of the drawings, the rail anchor R shown in Figure l includes the depending leg 2 and the upstanding leg 3* and, if desired, the upstanding leg 3 may be left initially out of contact with the depending leg 2 When the rail creeps in the direction of the arrow in Figure 5, it will be apparent that the leg 3 may have a tendency to move in the arc of a circle, and in doing so the deflection of the rail due to the wheel load approaching the tie 'T will cause a greater deflection of the levers 6 due to the tendency of the rail to carry the rail anchor throughthe arc of a circle having as its radius the leg 3". That is to say, any tendency of the rail to creep .will meet with greater resistance if the creeping movement tends to force the leg 3 toward the member 2 V Figure 8 of the drawings illustrates the application of the invention to a cambered type of tie plate. In this embodiment the tie plate portion 1 is shown in its normal position in full lines and has the rail anchor R at one end thereof. The position of the plate under load is shown in dotted lines. Clearly thisform of tie plate gives greater eificiency to the rail anchor R since when the cambered tie plate portion 1 is depressed the rail base engaging portions of the rail anchors will have a tendency to lift and press tighter against the base of the rail and thus draw the rail gripping elements 4 or their equivalents into tighter gripping engagement with the sides of the rail base.

Figure 9 of the drawings illustrates a tie plate portion 1 having the opposite gauge maintaining ribs 11, thus showing the adaptation of the invention to a combined rail anohor and tie plate wherein the plate as well as the anchor may carry the rib element throughout its'formation. In this form, the rail anchor is designated as R and includes the depending leg 2 and the upstanding member 3, the latter being cut away to provide the upstanding rail grippingelements 4 and also being cut away or slotted as indicated at 12, to provide the levers 6 having the relatively flat rail base engaging portions 7 As indicated, in other forms of the invention, the lever elements 6 are provided adjacent the rail base engaging elements 7 with the clearance portions-6 it being understood, of course, that the rail base engaging portions 7 have an initial projection or disposition above the normal plane of the rail seating surfaceof the tie plate portion 1". This clearance insures the application of the loading force to the outer'end of the levers 6 or their equivalent, thus insuring proper functioning of the rail gripping ele ments 4 or their equivalents under all conditions of use.

Figures 6 and 7 illustrate alternative formations for the top edges 7 of the levers 6; That is to say these members may have their top edge fiat as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4,5, 8 and 9 or they may be pointed. as shown in Fig. 6 or rounded as shown in Fig. 7 These illustrations show the range of modification that may be employed in connection with the rail base engaging edges of the levers when desired.

Figure 10 shows a modification of the up wardly disposed member 3 wherein the lever element 6 is in one piece. Thatis to say, the lever 6 is formed by slotting the web of the member 8 as indicated at 11 which provides the necessary clearance for the depression of the lever (i to pull the rail flange gripping elements 4' against the base flanges as in the other forms of the invention. This arrangement may provide for more conveniently cutting and folding the member 3 under some conditions of manufacture. The part 7 bears against the bottom of the rail and has an initial setting above the plane of the rail seating surface.

I claim:

1. A rail anchor including a portion adapted to lie between the rail and the tie and a tie abutting portion having rail gripping means.

2. A rail anchor including a portion adapted to be anchored to the tie and a tie abutting portion having integral rail gripping means.

3. A rail anchor including a portion adapted to be anchored to the tie, a tie abutting portion having resilient rail gripping means rendered eflective when the rail seats on the portion lying between the rail and the tie.

4:. A rail anchor including a portion adapted to be anchored to the tie, a tie abutting portion having resilient rail gripping means rendered effective when the rail seats on the portion lying between the rail and the tie, said resilient rail gripping means being located beyond the limits of the tie to be increasingly effective as the rolling wheel load passes thereover. I

5. A rail anchor including a tie plate portion and a rail gripping portion formed integral therewith and disposed at substantially right angles thereto to provide a tie abutting portion.

tegral therewith and disposed at substantially right angles thereto to provide a tie abutting portion, said rail gripping portion including a folded bar comprising a clownturned member and an upturned member, said upturned member being cut away to provide upstanding inwardly deflectable side members for gripping the sides of the rail base and also cut away to provide rail base engaging members integrally connected with the upstanding side members whereby the loading of the said rail base engaging members pulls the side members inwardly.

8. A rail anchor including a tie surface engaging and a tie side abutting portion said tie abutting portion including a relatively fixed ti'e engaging member and relatively free rail engaging members having a plurality 'o'- rail gripping parts rendered progre'ssively of increasing efliciency under increased loading conditions.

9. A rail anchor including a tie surface on gaging and a tie side abutting portion, said tie abutting portion including a relatively fixed tie engaging member, said railengaging member being cut away to provide a rail receiving recess and upstanding rail flange engaging members at the sides thereof, and also cut away to provide resilient rail base engaging membershavi'ng an initial projection above the top of the tie surface engaging portion and inte rally connected with the upstanding rail flange engaging members whereby to act as levers under load to increase the grip of the said rail flange engaging members.

10. A combined rail anchor and tie plate having integral resilient rail gripping means at one end, said rail gripping means being increasingly effective under increased load.

11. A combined rail anchor and tie plate having an integral substantially U-shaped portion overhanging the edge of the tie and resilient rail gripping means on the free leg of said U-shaped portion.

12. A rail anchor comprising a part secured to the tie, and rail gripping means including alever actuated by rail loads to render the rail gripping means effective.

13. A rail anchor comprising a part secured to'the tie and integral rail gripping means including an integral lever having an initial setting above the plane of the rail base and adapted tobe engaged thereby to render the rail for rendering said means for grips ping the rail effective.

15'. A rail anchor including means for engaging the base fiange of the rail and means integral therewith adapted to engage and be actuated by the base of the rail to render said first named means effective.

16. A rail anchor including a tie plate and means integral therewith for engaging the base flange of the rail; and means integral with said last named means for engaging the base of the rail to then render the means for engaging the base flange of the rail effective. V

17. A rail anchor including a member for engaging the base flange of a rail and a member integral therewith for engaging the base of the rail, said member being fulcrumed at a point below the rail base whereby rail loads imposed on the last named member will cause the first named member to impinge on the rail flange. H

18. A rail anchor including a metallic part supported at one side of the tie, a rail flange gripping member and an offset rail base engaging member formed from said metallic part and said members having a fulcrum located in said metallic part.

19. A combined rail anchor and tie plate having integral rail gripping means at one end, said means including a part for engaging the base flange of the rail, and means integral therewith adapted to engage and be actuated by the base of the rail to render effective said par-t engaging the base of the rail.

20. A rail anchor including a tie abutting portion having means for holding the same in fixed relation to the rail base and also hav ing integral rail gripping means rendered effective by the weight of the rail and wheel loads imposed thereon.

21. A railanchor comprising arelatively fixed supporting and tie abutting part and rail gripping means including a lever actuated by rail loads to render the rail gripping means efiective. I r

22. A rail anchor comprising a relatively fixed tie abutting member and rail gripping means integral therewith, said means including a lever having a part initially set above the plane of the rail base and adapted to be engaged thereby to render said rail gripping means eifective.

23. A rail anchor of substantially U-shaped formation having means on one arm of said U-shaped portion for supporting the same in fixed relation to the base of the rail and having integral resilient rail ri ping means on the other arm thereof.

24. A rail anchor including a metallic body doubled upon itself to form opposite leg portions, means on one of said leg portions for holding the body in relatively fixed relation to the rail and means on the other leg1 of the body for yieldingly gripping the m1 In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

CHARLES T. HOFFMAN. 

